Harry Potter and the Silent Assassin
by Jacqui Doyle
Summary: My own HP book #5
1. Default Chapter

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**Chapter 1 - Dreaming Phantoms **

The dark figure strode down the old Hogwarts hallways, purpose flashing in her sharp grey eyes. As she strode up to the portrait and silently mouthed the secret password, she flung herself through the hidden door with ever increasing impatience. Her black cape billowed out behind her, as she broke into a run up the Gryffindor staircases. Her white knuckled hands drew out the concealed dagger, reflecting the ghostly moonlight from the open windows.  
She raised her blade, poised to strike.

'DYAAAGHHHH'... Ron sat bolt upright in bed, breaking into a cold sweat.   
'Harry... geez, Harry wake up!' He shouted across the room to his sleeping friend.  
"hmm.. huh? what?' Harry said in a dazed sleepy voice.

'Harry, someone's here! I saw them... Harry! with a knife!'  
'mmm... Ron... your just dreaming again. Go back to sleep.' said Harry, as he rolled over facing the other direction, leaving Ron to scowl at the darkness alone.

Ron lay back into his soft pillows, eyes still scanning the room for the woman with the knife. He lay there, listening to Neville snoring softly for an hour before his eye slowly shut, and he drifted back to sleep.

It was near dawn when the women withdrew from the shadows closest to the door. Silently, she stalked out of the room, and down to the student common room. There, she scribbled a note, and fixing it to the fireplace hearth with her knife:  
" Beware! The silent assassin is here "

With one final glance around the room, she left, sweeping her long dark gowns out of the room.

Harry was woken early by the noisy commotion from the common room, below. Pulling on his dressing gown, he went to investigate. Professor McGongall issuing demands of silence to the group, while attempting to talk sternly to the Weasley Twins, Fred and George.   
"Well, Miss, we just walked past, you know... going to breakfast... , and the note was there!" Fred grinned.

Down at breakfast, the main hall was awash with hushed conversations, as the rumour filtered through to the rest of the school. Fred and George were sitting in the middle of a crowd, giving embellished renditions of the circumstances. "And that old bat, McGongall wouldn't even let us keep the awesome dagger, either!"

Question about a mysterious assassin dominated conversations throughout the rest of the day. Hermione and Harry were both concerned, and sick of Ron telling them: "I told you so!". They'd been back at Hogwarts for a week, and every night, Ron had been having similar dreams of a shadowy figure breaking into the boys tower. "See! I knew something was fishy! I just knew it!" Harry rolled his eyes and pretended to concentrate on the 'History of Goblin Warfare' book that was sitting in front of him. "Hermione, you believe me, right?" Ron said, exasperated with Harry's lack of interest. 

The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher had not yet arrived at Hogwarts, and Hagrid was still abroad with Madam Maxime, so they had wandered up to the Library to finish off their History essays. Hermione, who had finished hers, had begun helping Ron with his. "Ron, when will you learn that 1 sentence does not count as a paragraph?" She tutted him, changing the topic tactfully. Ron sighed, and began to reorganise his sentence structure. "One whole parchment on this garbage? He's kidding himself."

Later on that afternoon, as Harry was preparing his Fletberry Flange for a potions exercise, Hermione began to wonder about the mysterious intruder. "Well, what if this person wants Harry dead?"  
"Hermione!" amazed Ron, "you never cease to be a fountain of optimism"  
"Well, he'll just have to take a ticket and wait in line then!' Laughed Harry.  
"No, you two, I'm serious. He got past the Fat Lady fairly easily... He probably knows the password..."  
Neville, who had been listening in, shuddered visibly.  
"Oh, come off it... he probably used floo powder or apparated " Ron said winking to Harry.  
"Can't you remember?" stammered Hermione  
"YOU CANT APPARATE INSIDE HOGWART GROUNDS" she said, joined by Harry and Ron in chorus. Snape, who had been reading something at his desk, looked up at them and shot them an evil glare.   
"Potter? Is that a points deduction I'm hearing?". Grinning to each other, trying desperately not to laugh, the trio managed to finish the class in silence, oddly without losing any points at all.

When the school was seated for dinner, Dumbledore called them all to quiet. "Now, I'm sure you've all enjoyed your spare time, but I'd like to tell you that the Defence teacher has finally arrived." A general groan murmured through the halls.  
"I'd like to introduce you to Professor Elaria Gordie. She's been working with the Ministry of Magic, and has arrived here this afternoon. I hope you all make her welcome." The young witch sitting beside Professor Snape nodded at Dumbledore, and blushed slightly as a half hearted applause broke out. 

"Ooh, she looks like she's younger than Percy!" whispered Ron.   
"Well, anyway. I think she looks nice. I wonder what she's been doing with the Ministry? " added Hermione, as they all glanced up to the main table, to see Professor Gordie and Professor Snape deep in conversation.  
"Lets hope she's nothing like Snape then!" grimaced Harry.

The next night, Fred and George were talking excitedly about their first Defence Class as thought they had just been in the midst of a great battle. "She's nice enough, yeah. But really, I dunno, weird I guess." Explained George after being quizzed by Hermione. "Could be the type of person to give a snap-exam" Laughed Fred, as he watched Hermione's face flush white. Harry's own stomach did a kind of flip-flop. Hermione soon hurried off, muttering something about preparation, and study. Harry was eager to meet the new professor, as he was curious to see if she'd last longer than a year. Their last Defence teacher had been imprisoned in his own trunk for 8 months, and hadn't taught them anything all. 

Sooner than he had hoped, Harry bumped into Professor Gordie. He was trying to catch up to Ron, who had sped off to Divination, when he almost flattened the new teacher. "Oh, goodness, Miss! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I mean, I didn't see you at all!" Harry stammered, as he helped her pick up her books that had been scattered all over the hall floor. She didn't say anything, but nodded politely, and smiled as he gave her books back. Racing to class, he noted that she definitely wasn't like Snape. He would have given Harry a detention, and taken 20 points to boot.  



	2. Silence

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**Chapter 2 - Silence **

As they all waited patiently outside of the Defence classroom, Harry noticed Draco Malfoy looking particularly smug, whispering to Crabbe and Goyle. "This should be interesting. She's barely old enough to apparate!" he sniggered, "I bet she hasn't even seen a grindylow!". Their laughter was broken short by a sharp cough, as Professor Gordie strode past them, past the opening door, and into the empty classroom. Sneering at Harry and Ron as they broke out in large unmistakable grins, Malfoy contemptuously followed her into the classroom.

The rest of the class followed them in silently, and sat in their chairs, looking expectantly at Professor Gordie. Her short unruly black hair was a complete contrast to McGongall's tight stark bun. Professor Gordie stood in front of the class room, pointed her wand to her throat, whispered something quietly, and began to talk quietly in a husky voice.  
"I apologise for my late arrival. I was unexpectedly needed to resolve a Ministry conflict in Bulgaria." The class looked around at each other, with impressed glances.   
"My name is Elaria Gordie, however, you may all call me Elaria. I graduated from Hogwarts 5 years ago. In those 5 years, I have been working with the Ministry at the front line of improving magical Defences."  
She again, pointed her wand at her throat, and whispered something inaudible.  
"I am using a vocal amplifying spell, so you'll all have to been relatively quiet in my classroom. I am very good friends with Professor Moody, whom you all know, and am up to date with your study progress."

She paused, feeling her throat, as if it hurt her to speak.   
"We will begin this year's study, by looking at various ways to combat the silencing spell which prevents a victim from using their voice to cast spells."  
Malfoy muffled a snigger behind his textbook. "Miss?" he said, raising his arm, "I'm sorry, Elaria"  
Hermione shot a dangerous look at Malfoy, as Crabbe and Goyle erupted in laughter.  
Professor Gordie narrowed her eyes and stared at Malfoy. "Yes?"  
"Elaria, if you know how to combat the silence spell, why don't you use it to talk?" Malfoy said, innocently.  
"Because, my voice was not silenced by a spell. Now, quiet." Elaria went on, explaining the details of a silencing spell.  
Harry laughed heartily when she demonstrated the spell successfully on Malfoy, when he interrupted her for the 12th time, asking yet another irrelevant question. "Your voice will be restored at the completion of my class, Draco."  
Hermione giggled, watching Malfoy silently demand to be given his voice back.   
"Perhaps we should convince her to leave him like this for good!" she grinned to Ron.

The class drew to an end, as she finally demonstrated the counter-curse, restoring Malfoy, who scowled ungratefully. As the class all got up to leave, Elaria reached out and tapped Ron on the shoulder. "Ron! Hi Harry! Hermione! Um, I'd like to have a word or two with you if that's possible."

Elaria reached for a roll of old parchment and rolled it out on the desk between them. She pointed to it with her wand, and words began to scribble themselves across the page.

I thank you all for being so quiet in my class. My voice isn't used to this amount of talking!

Hermione spoke first, "Professor, um, sorry, Elaria, so does it hurt you to speak then?" Elaria nodded, and smiled. The words spread across the old parchment,

I'm afraid it does. I may need some help getting through the rest of the year! Perhaps a talking monkey?

She laughed silently. Ron spoke up next, "Um, Elaria, um, if you graduated 5 years ago, you must have known my brother, Charlie then?"  
She straightened her back, and her smile faltered.

Yeah, well, that's why I wanted to talk to you. I knew your brother. I was pretty shy in school. If you talk to him, tell him that Ellie says Hi.

"Oh, so he'd know you then?" Ron continued, looking back down at the parchment, not noticing the slight pinkish colour her cheeks had developed.

Well, we were in the same year level, and even in Gryffindor together. He didn't talk to me much. And I couldn't exactly hold a conversation with anybody!

She smiled shyly, and as if Harry could see into the past, he saw as the shy 13 year old in her tired grey eyes.

  
Walking back up to the Gryffindor common room, Hermione asked them what they thought of Elaria. "I don't know Fred was right I guess. She IS weird!"

  



	3. Snape's Secret

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**Chapter 3 - Snape's secret. **

After dinner had ended, and almost everybody was tucked comfortably in their beds, Ron, Hermione, and Harry were sitting in front of the common room fire, contemplating Ron's strange dreams.  
"No, I swear, they're so real. " Ron assured them, "perhaps they're a premonition or something I mean, they were all very similar"   
Hermione scoffed, "You mean, perhaps there is some knife branding psychopath that creeps into our dorms at night."  
Harry laughed. "Well, whatever it is, the teachers seem relaxed about it."  
Ron agreed, "Yeah, well, I wonder if this knife branding psychopath knows who's room he's sneaking into?, I mean, the last knife branding psychopath that broke into our room ended up being related to Harry!"  
They all laughed, remembering when Siruis Black had woken Ron in the depths of the night, wielding a knife inches above Ron's chest.   
"Perhaps I should write and tell snuffles what's going on." Harry said, while trying to stifle a yawn.  
"Yeah, we'll do that tomorrow I'll go and send a letter off to mum and dad too while we're up in the owlery. Oh, I should send a letter to Charlie as well, and see if he remembers Elaria Gordie."

Later that night, the cloaked figure crept silently into the common room. Her hidden eyes scanned the empty room as she slowly crossed to the staircases. Her soft boots made a sort of hollow echo as she circled the room, scanning for any movement. After several minutes of silent prowling, she crept up towards the boys dormitory. Pointing her wand to the door, she whispered something softly and the door swung open noiselessly. She entered the boys bedroom, withdrawing from the moonlight that was streaming through the open window. Keeping to the shadows, she edged her way around the room, and placed herself in a seat, opposite the four occupied beds. Suddenly a hiss ripped through the silence as Crookshanks leaped indignantly from his cosy position on the chair.  
With her breath held, she scanned the boys as they continued sleeping, snores gently issuing from the third bed. Giving an inaudible sigh of relief, she lowered herself into the chair.

From where Harry lay, he slowly scanned the room with a single open eye. He'd had another strangely vivid dream about the dark intruder. He was certain there was somebody else within the room, watching him.   
He strained his neck ever so slightly, to try and see into the shadows beyond the end of his bed. As he peered into the darkness, he saw crookshanks swish his tail, as he stalked proudly out of the room.  
"Damn cat" he muttered as he rolled over, sinking deeply into his pillow.

The silent watcher stayed motionless in the chair until the verge of dawn, eyes constantly scanning the room. Just as the early morning sunshine was creeping over the horizon, she finally swept soundlessly out of the room and strode across the common room and left through the painting of the Fat Lady.

At breakfast the next morning, Harry asked Ron if he had dreamed, again, of the dark attacker. "Well, I dunno Harry."  
Harry gave him a strange look, "What? So, you did? Huh?"  
"No, no, I mean, No, I didn't." Ron stammered, looking oddly flustered.   
"Oh, well that's good then" Harry said, wondering if he should tell Ron that he had also been dreaming of a silent intruder..  
"I think I'm just going crazy." Ron added, while helping himself to a large serving of crispy bacon.  
Harry laughed "I'd agree with you there!"

Hermione scampered into the Hall, looking dishevelled and flustered. "You two haven't seen Crookshanks anywhere, have you? I've looked everywhere.."  
Ron shook his head blankly, but Harry sat there, staring thoughtfully at his bacon. "I think I did last night. I woke up, and he was leaving the room."  
"Well, he's gone. He's not in my room, he's nowhere in yours. Nobody has seen him anywhere."  
"Relax! It's not the first time he's gone walkies. He's big enough, and ugly enough to look after himself!" Ron said, eyeing off the plate of croissants in front of him. "I'm loving all of this international food that Dumbledore has brought in."  
Harry murmured in agreement, as he tried to chew a large mouthful of Hungarian sausage.  
Hermione ate very little, and it was clear that she was still worrying about where her cat had disappeared to.   
Just as Hermione was going to insist that they go back up to the Gryffindor tower to search for him, a hundred owls came fluttering through the magnificent open windows.  
"Ooh look! I got one from Si er, snuffles!" Harry said happily as a large brown owl dropped a letter onto his place. The owl hooted wearily as it took off, back out of the window.

Dear Harry.  
Everything is going Ok here. Thankfully, I'm eating more than I was at home. They have the best sausages here!  
I've heard a disturbing rumour about somebody trying to break into Hogwarts. To ease my mind, I've requested that one of my friends that I met while in Bulgaria, look out for you while she's in the area.   
Love Snuffles.

Hermione and Ron looked at Harry expectantly. "Snuffles has a friend? Do you have any idea who it is?"  
Harry shrugged. "Not the foggiest."

Snape had been strangely preoccupied during the following days, constantly reading at his desk, and muttering under his breath. Harry was unused to feeling concerned about him, but whenever Harry noticed the deep dark rings around Snape's eyes, he felt almost sorry for the overbearing Professor.   
One lesson, while they were preparing a liquidising potion, Harry glanced at what Snape had been reading. It was a very work piece of parchment, reminding Harry of his Marauder's Map.   
"He's probably trying to memorise it!" thought Harry glumly, as he remembered the secret journeys to Hogsmead to visit his godfather the previous year. Hopefully, he'd still be able to give Mrs Norris, the caretakers cat, the slip and sneak out of the school to visit Sirius.  
Yet, when Harry peered at the piece of parchment a second time, he noticed that the text written upon it, had begun to change. New text was scrolling down the page, as Snape muttered into it. It looked very much like the piece of parchment that Professor Gordie had used to communicate to Ron, Hermione and himself. Harry decided to ask Elaria about it, after the next Defence class.

Defence had soon become their favourite class, not only had they learnt to counteract silencing curses, they'd also learnt how to tickle an opponent from a great distance. Ellie mentioned that this was the complete opposite to the criatus (is this the right spelling?) curse. Both Harry and Neville shuddered horribly at this; as great squawks of laugher drowned out any explanation that Ellie offered. Ron had quickly found the knack of this particular spell, and had both Harry and Hermione in stitches the whole lesson. The class left in a twitchy, giggly mass, and Harry had completely forgotten about his question, until Ron suggested they go to the owlry after lunch.  
"Bollocks! I forgot to ask Ellie about her parchment."  
Ron looked quizzically at Harry, and laughed "Ellie, hmmm? That's a far cry from Professor Gordie, dontcha think?"   
Harry rolled his eyes, and explained about the parchment.  
"I reckon she's good buddies with Snape, and holds a long-distance conversation via the parchment?" Ron concluded, after Harry had finished. Both boys had both noticed Snape's unusual lack of malice toward the new Defence Teacher, Gordie, .  
"D'ya think? I wouldn't pick Snape as the type to talk to her. After all, she's pretty young and, well, she WAS in Gryffindor" Harry said, speaking with a mouthful of baloney sandwich.  
Ron shrugged. "Yeah. s'pose."  


  



	4. The Violent Stranger

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** Chapter 4 - The Violent Intruder**

Up at the owlry, Hedwig hooted happily as Harry arrived. Ron, muttering under his breath, was hit in the face, several times, by a mad-axe owl, fluttering everywhere. "He gets crazier and crazier each time I see him!" Harry laughed, as Pig crashed into Ron's face again, before being gripped tightly around the middle, hooting happily.  
Both of the boys attached their notes, and watched as the two owls soared into the moonlight. Pig, darting around an indignant Hedwig.   
"I hope that snuffles isn't too far away." Harry said, hoping for a swift reply.  
Ron nodded, hoping too, for a swift reply.

Walking along the corridors, toward their next Divination class, Ron and Harry walked past the Defence classroom, and overheard voices muttering from within.  
"don't be a fool. If Dumbledore wants you here, you should stay." Said a gruff masculine voice.  
"Severus, I cant simply ignore them. They're far too dangerous to ignore these days. They're getting stronger. You know Fudge's attitude toward Dumbledore. It wont make any difference." said a strange husky voice.  
"They need me, regardless of their motives, I'm compelled to help them.", the voice continued, "I wont be gone long. No longer than 3 days, they assured me."

The first voice sounded unconvinced, "Since when has the Ministry been that efficient? I'll send word to the Aurors; I believe this is a trap, and you, my girl, are walking in blindly."  
There was movement inside the room, indicating to Harry and Ron, that they should move along.   
While sitting in the warm clammy Divination Tower class room, Harry kept thinking of what he'd overheard, evidently, so too was Ron.   
"Harry, do you think that was Ellie in there with Snape?" Ron said quietly, while Professor Wilma (cant remember correct name) spoke mysteriously about Tarot Cards, and their place in the history of Muggles.

"I dunno, Ron." Harry said, as he started to shuffle the old deck of cards that was placed in front of him. "Why would Snape give a damn about her? She's only been here just over a week. Doesn't make sense"  
Ron sat there, with a scowl on his face. "Damn! Out of 76 cards, I had to pull out the "Fool"!", he said, showing a card that featured a figure that resembled a court jester.   
Harry looked at his own card, "The Hierophant" which pictured a centaur, holding a stack of books and papers, and shrugged. "I hope this doesn't mean I'll get extra homework!".  
"At least we didn't' pull out Death, or something! She", he indicated at Professor Wilma, "would have had a field day!"

Over the next few weeks, Professor Gordie continually left Hogwarts mysteriously, and returned several days later, confirming their suspicions. Snape was looking murderous, each time he had to take the defence class, and gave the class endless essays on various disarming counter-curses, confirming Harry's strange prediction. However, he was unsure weather Snape's foul temper was due solely to having to take two classes. Harry had started to voice his theories about Snape's link to Ellie, one night, when a nerve tingling scream, and the sound of glass breaking broke through bustle of the noisy common room. "Lavender, god, Harry, I think that was Lavender!" Hermione shouted as she flew up the girls' staircases.   
At the top of the stairs, they were greeted with a grim scene. Pillows had been shredded, curtains slashed, and girls clothes strewn over the room. Shards of glass were scattered all over the floor, as a cold wind blew in from the broken window. There was a large quantity of blood splattered over the room, including an obvious trail leading toward a note, attached to the wall with what looked like a heavy handled dagger. "Lavender!" Hermione screamed, as she flew across the room, to the shuddering body of Lavender Brown. Her shirt was splashed with blood, and her forehead sported a large, red lump where she'd fallen, and smacked her head. Her brown eyes staring off into nothingness, constantly muttering under her breath. Professor McGongall, quickly alerted by the sounds of screaming, came hurrying up to the girls tower, scolding curious students as she bustled her way through the crowd, all eager to see the scene. She quickly ripped down the bloody note, and started directing the students with a strange edge to her voice.  
"Hermione, go outside, and get the other students to meet in the Main Hall. Potter, Weasely, take Miss Brown to the Hospital Wing immediately. On your way back, summon the Head Master, and Professor Gordie. This is not acceptable." 

Without further request, Harry and Ron picked up the unconscious body between them, and awkwardly started to carry her out of the room. McGongall took one look at them, scolded them for not using their brains, and showed them a hovering spell that would help them carry Lavender.  
Harry and Ron walked silently, guiding the unconscious body of the girl towards the hospital wing. "Who" said a mystified Ron.   
"How did they" grasped Harry at the same time, both trying to comprehend how somebody could have broken in to the girls' tower.   
When they got to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey cried in shock, as she saw the rigid form of Lavender Brown float through the door behind them.   
Instantly she started to busy herself around the girl, issuing commands to the two boys, who stood there, still reeling with the shock.  
"Um, I'm sorry Miss, but I think we have to go and get Dumbledore and Professor Gordie." Ron said, in a quiet monotonous voice. Harry stood there, feeling very numb, vivid images of Cedric Diggory flashing in his mind. Diggory's eyes had held the same blank, empty expression as he'd fallen, murdered by Voldemort. Harry felt nauseous, and breathed heavily, fighting for fresh air.  
"You coming, Harry?" Ron said, sounding a long way away.  
"Hmmm, yeah. Coming." Harry mumbled, as he turned and followed his friend.  



	5. Showdown

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**Chapter 5 - Showdown **

Dumbledore rushed past Ron and Harry in the corridors. "Go and fetch Ellie, I believe you'll find her hiding in Snape's office. Quickly, boys!" Harry hardly heard him, but turned numbly in the direction he was pointing. Ron and Harry increased their pace to a slight jog, Ron constantly talking about the strange events that had been going on. "I reckon its that damn dream intruder, finally tried to kill one of us. There's always a dirty great dagger in their hand "  
Harry interrupted "No, it's not her." confused, Ron stopped and stared blankly at Harry.  
"Ron, I've been having those dreams too. She's never hurt us." Harry started tugging Ron down the stairs by his cloak sleeve, "She knew someone would break in Ron! Hurry up!" An immediate sense of urgency crept through Harry. "Why didn't you tell me? About the dreams?" Ron panted as they swung around the hallway corner, "Never thought " but before Harry could finish, they heard a great noise coming from Snape's office. They heard Snape's raised voice echoing off the hallway, and muffled sobbing resonating along the corridor.   
Before Harry could think twice, he started yelling, "Snape! Hurry! Dumbledore needs Ellie!" Silence filled the hallway. "ELLIE!" he yelled as Snape strode out into the hallway, his wand ready at his side, glaring menacingly at both Harry and Ron.  
"She comes." The cloaked figure from Ron and Harry's nightmares stepped forward out of the shadows. Snape raised his wand, pointed it to the two boys, and before they could react, they were surrounded in a tunnel of blue mist. Harry and Ron both heard the spell, but the muffled words "audible unablilis", sounded like they were being spoken a great distance away. Ron tried to shout, but his voice was absorbed by the great blue fog; sounding more like a dull hum.   
A harsh rasping voice pierced through the mist, the dark figure clearly coming toward them, "You are right. We all must hurry"  
Harry blinked several times, before registering Professor Gordie. As she strode past them both, he noticed her short dark hair had lengthened, becoming long flowing whisps of hair that pulsed behind her in the fog, like lightening in the stormy sky. Her face was covered in glass shards, blood smeared across her features. Horrified, they stumbled behind her, bound to her within strange blue mist. They arrived at the Gryffindor tower faster then the boys had anticipated, finding it completely deserted. Professor Gordie turned to Ron. "Have you heard from your brother yet?", and as Ron timidly shook his head, she cursed, sending a chair crashing against the wall. Standing there for indecisive moment, Elaria snarled, a vicious low grumble slicing through the muffling blue fog surrounding them. Snape rushed in behind them, joining them within their misty shroud. "Up! Quickly, up in the boys dorm." He pointed, rushing toward the staircase. Confused, and slightly bewildered by the blue fog, Harry and Ron quickly followed the Professors up the stairs.  
Before they reached the top, a loud blast was heard, and Professor Snape's rigid body came crashing down past them, no longer surrounded by the mist. Bright blasts were ricocheting off the grey stone walls ahead, and both boys retrieved their wands, readying themselves. However ready they seemed to be, nothing could have prepared them for the scene they met within their own room. At one end, Professor Gordie looked to be channelling the blue fog, drawing on it's energy, muttering a complex incantation, waving a distinctive knife in the moonlight toward a hovering figure near the window. The unmistakable floating figure was a screaming banchee, with wild white hair, screeching into the blue mist. Elaria stood slowly, grey eyes gleaming with a cold radiance. The two women faced each other, trading futile blows, with the Banshee directing fully aimed screams at Professor Gordie. The ever diminishing blue mist absorbing the blow, allowing the Professor to hurl her own, undiminished vocal assault. Each blow sending pulses of sickness, and nausea down into the pit of Harry's stomach. Ron leapt ahead of him, aiming his wand, sent a silencing spell toward the raised figure of the banchee. His wand sent a feeble pulse toward the shrieking woman, unable to pierce the fog correctly. Without hesitation, the wench turned, shrieking at Ron with a voice filled with malice and hatred. Doubled over with pain, Ron stumbled backward, falling into Harry. Ron's eyes had glossed over, and as he rolled over to his hands and knees, retching as the nausea enveloped him completely. Anger, and fear merged at the base of Harry's spine, sharpening his mind. Blue mist surged between them, and without thinking, Harry aimed his own wand at the banshee, screaming the silencing curse. His own scream sounded very small, muted by the mists, but as his desperation increased, it deepened into a low growl that shook the very earth. In the next second, a blinding blue flash seared through the air, followed by a tremendous explosion, as Harry was thrown against the wall.  



	6. Charlie Returns

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**Chapter 6 - Charlie Returns. **

Harry opened his eyes slowly, a dull ache throbbing in his temples. A vision of the hospital ward swam in his poorly focused eyes, and a quiet whispering was heard from the other side of the room.  
He slowly turned his head, and saw the still body of Ron, lying in the bed next to him.  
"Ron! Ron, are you awake!" Harry strained, through a raspy voice. His friend lay motionless in the white crisp sheets.   
"Harry, try to rest." Madam Pomfrey whispered, appearing beside Harry's bed.  
"He's had a rough night, but he'll be fine with a wee bit of sleep." She added, placing a glass of water on the bedside table.  
A figure strode across the room toward him. Harry's eyes were so badly focused, that the only registering feature was the brilliant Weasely red hair. "Harry. I'm so glad you're ok. I think mum would'a throttled me if you'd have been killed." he said, softly ruffling Harry's messy black hair.  
"What happened, Charlie?" Harry murmured, his voice hurting. "Where's Ellie?"  
Charlie's eyes went cold, and before Harry could ask any more, there was a soft murmur from Ron's side of the room, prompting Charlie to rush to Ron's side. "Howsit goin' kiddo?" he said softly.  
Ron blinked, as if trying to understand what had happened, and where he was.  
"It's all gunna be ok, just rest." Charlie said, sitting on his brothers bed. "I'm here, nothing can hurt you now." Ron nodded slowly, shutting his eyes.

Harry looked at the two brothers sitting together, in silence for quite a while, before he heard Snape's familiar drawl coming from the other room. "Good woman, leave me alone!" He insisted. "I'm perfectly able to take good care of mys. Awwwwch.. That hurt! Now, hand me my wand, and good day to you!"   
Harry heard Madam Pomfrey tutting, as Snape limped out of an adjoining room, with a foul expression on his face. "I'm not about to let some minor foot injury stop me from teaching." Snape scowled at the old woman, fussing around with some leg bandages. "But, professor, you really must" said Madam Pomfrey as Snape hurried out of the ward.   
"Oh! The nerve!" Pomfrey said rather loudly, huffing as Snape disappeared around the corner.  
"I didn't work for 60 years as an emergency witch to be treated like a mindless handwitch!" She said, in a high pitched, irritated voice, as she strode toward Harry's bed. "My word. I've dealt with Dragons, Dementors, Hippogriffs, Banshees, Acromantulas and Students, to be treated like this!" She walked up, and begun roughly tucking in Harry's bed sheets. "I mean to say, if he thinks he can come in here and"   
"There, there, Poppy!" a gentle voice murmured from the doorway. "He's had a lot of worrying to do, of late. Ellie was, I believe, as close as any daughter could have been." Dumbledore said, as he walked across the room, to lay an arm over Madam Pomfrey's shoulders. Her face changed instantly, from one of suppressed rage, to one of slight concern. "I know, I should mind my temper. But he never takes my advice Albus. It's just not right." She shook her soft head as she spoke. "He'll do himself some permanent injury."   
Dumbledore nodded, "Agreed. I'll have a word to him later. How is young master Potter, and master Weasely doing? Recovering well, ah yes!" He said, as he spied Harry looking over from his bed.  
He came over, and beckoned to a nearby chair, that hurried to accommodate him. Seated next to the bed, Dumbledore stroked his snowy beard, looking at Harry intently. "What a fine muddle this all is. Fugitives, banshees, assassins. What a tangled mess, while you, Harry, are firmly in the middle of it!"  
Peering through blurry eyes, Harry looked at Dumbledore. It seemed to Harry that he was still surrounded by a fog that swirled around him. "I'm sorry, but, what?" Harry croaked, his voice still raspy. Dumbledore laughed. "Lets just say, Harry, you have some very impressive friends! I should think you would want to ask your godfather about that. He might be able to give you some more answers."  
He would say no more, and it was only after Harry had settled himself down, and closed his eyes, that Dumbledore walked over, and spoke to Charlie, who had been sitting silently with his brother.  
"You're a good fellow, Charles. Brave. You risked a lot coming here tonight. The council now suspects that you were the one that helped Ellie escape."  
Harry opened an eye, and looked out toward Ron's bed.  
Charlie shrugged. "What could I do, Professor? She was, I mean, we werewe loved each other." He sighed and then continued, "when I found out what they were doin', I just couldn't let them turn her into something like that that evil hag." His head dropped to his chest.   
"I knew she was tight with Snape, and I knew he could help hide her. I truly thought I'd never see her again."  
Dumbledore sighed. "After Snape sent her to Sirius, I too, hoped that she could keep herself well hidden. But, the others at the Ministry, sent word. I gave her the job here, Charlie. There were others who needed her to help them escape." He remained silent for a moment, Charlie raised his head, through the haze in Harry's eyes, he thought he saw tears welling within Charlies reddened eyes. "She tried her hardest to free other women, trapped within the Ministry fortress. She also came back, to help Sirius."  
Harry strained his neck around, so that he may hear Dumbledore more clearly, "He'd found out that there was going to be an attempt on Harry's life. Seems our old friend had hired a few Ministry-trained assassins. When he told her, she came back."  
Charlie let out a small cry, "She stood no chance against them. They killed their own sister. They murdered her in cold blood. I was too late."  
Dumbledore remained silent.  
"Charlie, try and understand, she not only saved Professor Snape and Lavender Brown, but Harry, and your brother too. The risk to her own safety didn't occur to her." Dumbledore said softly, putting his arm on Charlies shoulder. "And not all is lost. Perhaps she lives."  
Harry could vaguely see Charlie looking at Dumbledore, shoulders square, jaw clenched. Silence again descended upon the room, Dumbledore and Harry looking at Charlie, and Charlie looking at the open tower window.   
From behind Charlie came a small croak, startling both Charlie and Dumbledore. "May I have a drink of water?" Ron's croaky voice was barely heard.

Ron had a hard time explaining the story to Hermione who had been taken to the great hall after Lavender had been attacked. Professor McGongall had guessed what was going on, and had left, taking with her all students. Hermione had done some investigation, and found that the note had been a challenge to Professor Gordie from the banshee intruder. Hermione had gone quite pale when she had recited it, but pursed her lips as if to signify the defiance she felt toward the banshee that had attacked Hogwarts. Harry had been ordered not to speak, to help his voice heal after the battle with the banshee. Indeed, he had quite a time getting past the Fat Lady, until they had sorted out a signal password that Harry could demonstrate. 

Snape had returned to his previous form, sneering and scowling at the world. He'd given both Harry and Ron detentions for smiling, and had even threatened to kick Mrs Norris across the hallway when she had tripped him over, making him drop an arm full of books. Harry was almost relieved, but soon discovered that he liked the concerned, worried Snape, over the grumpy sneering Snape who bullied the class. Dumbledore never explained Snape's involvement in Ellie's escape, but a letter from Sirius revealed that Ellie had indeed met him in Bulgaria, where he had helped her escape the evil banshee assassin team that had been sent to track, and kill her. 

"So, you mean, your brother is in love with a escaped banshee assassin?" Hermione questioned. "Um, well, I don't know about that" Ron stammered, oddly avoiding Hermione's looks of confusion. "I think she's only half-banshee. She is a witch. I mean, banshee's don't have wands, do they? Kinda like Hagrid, but, different." Ron said, concentrating on the history book open in front of him. Hermione sighed. "It's a real pity we cant have her as our defence teacher any more. She was really quite good. I think she might have taught Malfoy a thing or two!"  
Ron paled. "Oh geez, Harry!"  
'What?' harry mouthed.  
"We forgot. Who's captain of the team? We have to beat Malfoy next week!"  
Reality came back to Harry with a sickening thud to the stomach. In his recovery, he'd completely forgotten about the Quidditch Cup  



End file.
